Recently Toyota New Zealand put on a bit of a treat for fans at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park with the Toyota owners Festival. It was a great chance for owners and enthusiasts of the brand to get their pride and joy on track or show off their detailing skills in the show and shine.
Along with track time, skid pads and the show and shine, Toyota New Zealand gave some lucky owners the chance to gain some invaluable driving knowledge with coaching from some of New Zealand’s top drivers and get behind the wheel of an FT40 single seater in the ETEC Toyota Racing Series Simulator.
I managed to get along to the event in the morning to catch some of the action and check out some of the much loved cars on display. Much like any car meet, it was a chance for many to hover around engine bays and admire the handiwork of their fellow enthusiasts as well as borrow ideas and aspirations from each other. But Toyota had much more on offer with the use of Hampton Downs dedicated and plumbed skid pad and of course track time for anyone who had registered and paid the fee.
One of the highlights for many was the many track ready cars, including a Toyota Celica Rally car. Toyota were also keen to get fans up close to their relatively new Toyota 86 and to inspire the next generation of modified Toyota with some of the cars they brought along as well as promoting their Toyota race series though driver coaching and their simulator.
Though out of reach for some enthusiasts, one of the desirables on display was the Toyota 86 powered by a Synergy V8. The 360kW, 92kg small capacity engine was originally designed for use in Midget’s and can rev out to 12,000RPM.
However if you wanted a custom race track ready 86, Toyota have you covered with the 86RC. Variations of the cars were on display and on track for enthusiasts to drool over along with the selection of parts available to build your ultimate 86. If yo missed out on the day all is not lost as you can still build your dream Toyota 86 on their website 86rc.co.nz and have your personalised race car delivered fresh from the factory floor, no late night stressful builds and compliant checks needed.
In all it was a great day for Toyota enthusiasts. A big thank you for Toyota New Zealand for putting on the event and inviting me along. It’s not every day that a brand shows its appreciation for its fans is this manner. One can only hope this takes off and we get many more events like this in future.
If you are interested in Toyota events in your area, keep an eye on Toyota New Zealand’s Facebook page or for the Toyota Race Series visit Toyotaracing.co.nz.
– Roger Baillie (@Rojn8r)